A
Week in Sunny Devon

As
the scenery began to change to rolling hills there was no need
to look at the map to know we were approaching Somerset and then
Devon

It was six forty-five in the morning as
our plane touched down at Gatwick airport. This was the start of our
one week's vacation in Southern England. As we drew up to the disembarkation
gate the captain told us the weather forecast for the next few days
was warm and sunny. What a bonus - no rain.

After clearing customs
we located our hire car which, as luck would have it, had a diesel engine.
What a great reward, considering the cost of gas is so extortionate
in the UK. So off we set off on our journey down to the glorious county
of Devon, where the rolling hills and lush green valleys are a sheer
delight.

When we turned off the highways (after
an hour) and on to the county roads the scenery started out quite level,
with the odd hill scattered here and there. All of a sudden I began
to see parts of Stonehenge straight ahead, then we got closer and my
heart began to sense a bygone age of ancient rituals associated with
the age-old stone. I slowed down to a crawl (much to the disgust of
the impatient drivers behind) and could envision sacred blessing being
bestowed to faithful worshipers. A time gone by that holds many mysteries
and conjures up mystical thoughts that spark the soul. All to soon the
unexplainable stones disappeared in the rear view mirror as the car
picked up speed and headed towards Devon.

As the scenery began to change to rolling
hills there was no need to look at the map to know we were approaching
Somerset and then Devon. Originating from Florida where everything is
flat, the rolling hills were a truly a refreshing pleasure to behold.
After four hours driving and one rest stop for toasted tea cakes and
tea, we arrived at our Devon cottage in the countryside where we were
to spend the first week of our vacation. Longcombe Cottages
is a delightful series of eight individual cottages catering to all
tastes in size. We lodged in a one bedroom cottage that was the home
of two horses before the conversion to a holiday home. It was tiny but
very comfortable. The owners of Longcombe Cottages are Vanessa and Chris
Lewis. They are a wonderful couple who go out of their way to make every
guest's stay a pure pleasure. With a heated indoor swimming pool and
children's play area the secluded cottages are an idyllic setting for
a peaceful holiday. Magnificent rolling hills encircle the cottages
that accommodate a farm with sheep, cows, a rooster and an angry farmer
who will not allow anyone on his land. We discovered the latter one
day when we tried to walk over to the cows, only to be told to 'Bugger
off' in no uncertain manner. Gee! it's great to be back in the UK and
be greeted with such frank honesty. When I blew the farmer a kiss his
face turned to beetroot; nice to see county folks with color in their
cheeks.

Chris's father was MP for a north eastern
town in England for many years. One evening he brought over his father's
memorabilia, which contained amongst other things, a collection of letters
Chris's dad receive from Winston Churchill, Harold Macmillan and the
infamous Enoch Powell. Every letter told a story and there was even
some correspondence from a minster at the center of the Profumo affair
in the early sixties. What? you don't remember the call-girl scandal
that brought down the defense minister? Of course you do! Surely the
more recent fall of another defence minister by the name of David Blunkett,
brings it all back. (What is it about defence?) They made a movie called
Scandal and I was reading a letter that was part of all the
Hoo-Har. Fascinating stuff.

The cottages are very close to the sea
side towns of Paignton
(Famous for its great zoo), and Torquay.
Both are well worth a day visit and the zoo is a real nature reserve
in natural settings. But, be warned ... very hilly. Torquay takes first
prize for magnificent Gardens and superb seafront promenade. No wonder
they call it the 'English Riviera'. It even has palm trees swaying in
the light balmy breezes.

As we walked along the promenade we came
to a large grassed area that was holding a festival in aid of a charity.
The site was filled with many Marques that had children's gifts and
there was a large stage for children's entertainment. A little further
down the line was a marquee with a large sign 'Free Men's Health Check'.
It has been twenty years since I had a health check so what a golden
opportunity to get an examination. 'What do you do?' I enquired. 'Cholesterol,
blood pressure, blood sugar levels, and testicle test' came the reply
from a young, good looking nurse. 'Really? Where do I sign up?' was
my prompt response. We exchanged knowing grins. But it turned out she
knew more than I did.

All my blood levels were perfect, then
it came to the more intimate aspect of the tests although, in the event,
it was merely instruction, not the physical I imagined. I would have
to be satisfied with the thrill of the seaside. But i did gain an important
piece of information on a do-it yourself health check that can save
a life. I had learnt something new and I thanked all the staff kindly
for their great work in preventing illness.

Meanwhile, back at the cottages, Vanessa
and Chris had organized a get-together with all the other guests. It
turned out to be a great party with many interesting English folks who
all had stories to tell. Another lovely place close by is the ancient
town of Totnes. It is
a town steeped in English history. 'Steeped' is an appropriate word,
for the town is built on an extremely steep hill and walking up is not
for the unfit. Thank goodness I'd been checked out! We had a lovely
guide to show us around and tell us of the local history. Medieval legend
has it that, Brutus of Troy (based on myths), is the originator of the
British Race and this would be the place early settlers would have arrived
along the South West coast in the 10th century. Totnes, which means
'The Fort', originated from the Saxon kingdom of Wessex. In 1206 people
secured their charter of independence from King John, and sent their
first MP to Parliament in 1295. The list of Mayors in the Guildhall
begins in 1359. Many houses in the town depict the wealth of rich merchants
from the 16th century, several with lavishly carved ceilings. Throughout
the Civil War, both sides used the town as a base, with Sir Thomas Fairfax,
Charles the Second and Oliver Cromwell visiting the town and leaving
their mark in the history books.

Today the ancient character of the town
is still in felt, with the clock tower in the center to chronicle the
ambiance of a past era. Shoppers will enjoy strolling around some unique
and diverse shops in the town. It also boasts a great old fashioned
fishmonger with very fresh fish. There are so many day trips in the
local area we would have needed a month to see them all. One of the
places we did visit was a working farm called Pennywell. It is filled
with an assortment of half-hourly events and various cute animals that
make for a very enjoyable day out. The highlight for us was the bird
of prey display that was truly amazing.

Some of the other places to visit in the
area, which the locals told me were great fun are: Canonteign Falls
, Cardew Teapottery, Coleton Fishacre House and Garden, Dartington Ciderpress
Centre, the Hedgehog Hospital, Paignton and Dartmouth Steam Railway,
Quaywest Waterpark, River Dart Country Park, Sharpham Vineyard, Sorley
Tunnel Adventure Farm, South Devon Railway, Totnes Rare Breeds Centre,
Woodlands Leisure Park. Numerous choices and with our week's visit bathed
in sunshine, we visited as many places as we could.

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